


Double Trouble

by ClaireBear16



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Battle of Hogwarts, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Heavy Angst, Hogwarts, Post-Battle of Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-06-24 18:14:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19729069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClaireBear16/pseuds/ClaireBear16
Summary: The twins never left school to start their joke shop, but planned to do that after they graduated. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are in fifth year, and Fred and George are in their seventh (may change). Instead of falling for Ron, Hermione falls in love with Fred during their time at school. But after he dies in the Battle of Hogwarts her world becomes dark and she feels lost. But she finds comfort and love from the person she last thought she would or could. But will it be too painful to continue exploring her newfound romance, when it reminds her so much of her last love?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> a/n: Hi! I've been sitting on this story for a while, and have come back to it now and then, but recently I began working on it again and decided to publish the first chapter! I'm really excited to keep writing this since I've always wanted to finish it. It's probably gonna be a long one, so I will try to update as regularly as possible, but I am in college so when the fall semester starts the updates may come less often or sporadically. So far I have two more chapters written, and I have a good idea of where I plan on going with it, so that should help with the writing process. I'll update you in the next chapter or two about how often I will be updating. Anyways, enough of me droning on, enjoy! Leave a comment! Let me know what you think!  
> *This is also posted on fanfiction.com under the same author name.*

Chapter 1

Giggling as she watched Fred and George try to outdo the other's joke, Hermione sat with Harry, Ron, Ginny, and the twins in the Great Hall. It was noon on a Friday, and everyone was eating lunch before going to their last classes for the day, ready for the weekend to finally start. Especially because the first quidditch match of the season was tomorrow, and it was Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. Suddenly Fred looked over and grinned at her after a counter to George's joke, and she felt herself blush and shifted her gaze away shyly.

She’d be lying if she said she didn’t feel anything for him. She felt silly, but she hoped maybe he felt something for her too. Fred was funny, charming, and good looking. Of course that meant he had a horde of girls interested in him on any given day. She tried not to get her hopes up, but thought he might’ve glanced at her more often lately, and even noticed that he and George had been hanging out with Harry, Ron, Ginny, and her more since they all met up at The Burrow the week before the beginning of school. At first she assumed that the twins were simply hanging out with them because they had nobody else to hang out with, even though that couldn’t be farther from the truth, but as the first couple of weeks of school passed their presence in the group didn't fade. She would be lying to herself if she said she didn't feel anything for Fred, she had always found him to be intriguing. Maybe because he had an affinity for breaking the rules, while she always obeyed them, except of course, when absolutely necessary to save Harry or Ron's life, something that occurred way too often.

She knew his newly taken up position in their friend group probably meant nothing, but Hermione couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of hope that maybe he was interested in her after all.

 _Don’t be ridiculous Hermione,_ she told herself _, he’s two years older than you. Besides, Pravarti told you the other day that she heard from Thomas that he was interested in Annabelle._ But the thought still niggled at the back of her brain, and gave her butterflies in her stomach.

She was jolted out of her thoughts by Harry tugging on her arm, “Come on Hermione, or we’re gonna be late to Potions.”

Gathering her books, she followed Harry and Ron down the corridor, barely listening as Ron and Harry groaned about having joint Potions class with Slytherin. Reminding them it was their last class of the day their mood seemed to lighten marginally.

* * *

“I’m going to head up to the library for a little while.” Hermione told Harry and Ron as they walked out of the dungeons.

“Why Hermione?! Let loose, have some fun!” Harry begged.

“I need to pick up a few books, and do some studying, we have a Charms exam in two weeks!”

“Aw come on Hermioneeee,” Ron whined, dragging out the end of her name, “that’s not for two weeks! It’s Friday! Can’t it wait?! Let’s go have some fun!”

“Sorry Ron, but I need to study for Charms and so do you. Your levitation charm could use a little work for sure.”

“Come on Ron, we have quidditch practice anyways, we have to prepare for the match against Slytherin tomorrow,” Harry said.

“I’ll see you guys later.” With that she hustled down the hall, quickly getting swallowed up by the throngs of people heading back to their common rooms, or outside to enjoy the pretty weather.

* * *

Heading out of the library, with her nose in a book, Hermione was more than a little distracted when she turned a corner, running directly into someone, dropping her book, and almost falling.

Strong hands gripped her arms to catch her before she fell, and after regaining her balance she looked up, and was surprised to see Fred smirking down at her. Then, before she had a chance to say anything, he bent down and retrieved her book for her.

“Wow Granger, falling hard for me, aren't you? I mean I don’t blame you, it’s hard to keep your balance with somebody as good looking as me around to knock you off your feet.” He continued to smirk.

She hoped that he wouldn’t notice her blush, as she tried to be cool to his teasing.

“I better get going, I told George I’d meet him down by the dungeons to stir up a little trouble. If anybody asks you don’t know anything.” He winked and chuckled at her bemused expression. “On an unrelated topic, have you seen Peeves anywhere?” he asked, giving her a mischievous grin.

“N-no,” she stammered.

“Oh well, I just wanted to have a little chat with him, see you at the match tomorrow.” Smiling mischievously, he stepped around her and continued to walk around the corner.

Standing there for a few moments in shock she tried to calm her swirling thoughts.

 _“…falling hard for me…”_ _Does he know? No, there’s no way!_ She had been careful to conceal her feelings anytime he was around. _He was just teasing you, sheesh, calm down,_ she told herself.

Composing herself she walked back to the Gryffindor common room to discard her books before she went in search of Ron and Harry, ready to relax for a little while.

* * *

_Next day…_

It was a beautiful day, and it seemed as though the whole school was out to watch the rivals Gryffindor and Slytherin play in one of the biggest matches of the season. Hermione stood between Ginny and Luna, who was wearing her lion hat, which roared occasionally. They were yelling and cheering on Gryffindor as they tried to maintain their small lead over Slytherin.

Hermione was having trouble focusing on the entire match, her gaze kept drifting to watch Fred. She watched as Fred and George flew back and forth, as they wove and cut between the other players. She admired Fred’s athleticism as he stretched to hit a bludger heading straight for Harry.

They worked like a well-oiled machine, each knowing what the other was going to do next. This was probably one of the only times she’d ever seen Fred look remotely serious as he concentrated on the task at hand.

But even still, she caught him and George laughing at something the other said as they zipped by each other or when they gave silly looks to each other across the field. She lightly chuckled as she observed their playful antics.

She watched as Fred threw his hands up in triumph, for what she wasn’t sure, then she was jerked from her thoughts as Ginny shook her shoulders.

“Hermione we won! Harry caught the snitch! WE WON!!!” Ginny yelled with joy.

The cheering from Gryffindor was deafening, and she smiled as she watched Ginny and Luna hug and jump around with delight.

A flash of bright orange hair caught her attention and she whipped her head around just in time to watch George and Fred do a flyby past the crowd. She must be crazy, but she thought maybe she saw Fred shoot her a glance.

 _I’m crazy, he could’ve been looking at anyone near me_ , _he was probably just looking at Luna's hat_ , she grumbled to herself. But she couldn’t help the small spark of hope in her heart.

* * *

_Later that night_ …

  
The cheering in the Gryffindor common room was so loud it must have been keeping half the school up.

Hermione was standing near Harry and Ron, vaguely listening as throngs of people came up to congratulate them on their win against Slytherin. Wondering where Ginny was she scanned the room, and saw her snogging Dean Thomas in the corner. They were completely oblivious to the chaos surrounding them.

Continuing to scan the common room she saw many people from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, there to celebrate Slytherin’s defeat too. She gasped as she turned around and came face to face with a certain redhead.

“Would you care to go for a walk Hermione?” Fred asked nervously.

“Um, s-sure.” Hermione replied, surprised.

Following him out through the portrait of the Fat Lady they just wandered around the castle, with no specific destination. Hermione fidgeted nervously with a loose string on the sleeve of her sweater, while Fred cleared his throat and glanced down at his feet.

“How are you? The weather was lovely today, wasn't it?” He asked, unsure of what to say now that they were alone.

“I’m good. Oh yes, the weather was perfect.” She replied while still tugging on the persistent string. It would probably help if her hands weren’t shaking, she prayed he wouldn’t notice.

“Look Hermione,” he started anxiously, “I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while, but I could never pluck up the courage,” he paused and took a shaky breath before continuing, “will you go out with me?”

Her jaw dropped and she looked up at him with wide, curious eyes.

“Well, I mean, of course, it’s just I thought you liked Annabelle? Pravarti said that-”

She was interrupted by him gently grabbing her chin and tipping her head up as he leaned down to plant a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He grinned, turning to gesture that they should continue walking. “I didn't take you for the gossiping type,” he chuckled, shooting her a teasing look.

“I-I’m not,” she stammered, still trying to gather her thoughts after his peck. She decided to be honest, “but I guess I just assumed that you liked her instead of me because she’s in your year.”

“There’s no rule saying I can’t like someone outside of my year,” he smirked. “Besides, I’ve never been one to follow the rules anyways. You also happen to be the brightest witch in Hogwarts, what year you’re in does not define your character Hermione.”

Blushing heavily she smiled at him gratefully, “Well thank you.”

Unsure of what to say after a comment like that she decided to venture back into easier conversation, one that might calm her nerves.

“You played great today, the way you saved Harry from getting hit by that bludger was very impressive. I thought you were going to fall off your broom!”

“Thank you,” he smiled at her.

The conversation flowed much easier after that. Fred told joke after joke, and smiled with endearment as he watched her giggle.

“What do you call colors you can’t see?” He asked.

“I don’t know, what?”

“A pigment of your imagination!”

She laughed openly at his jokes, realizing that she felt comfortable around him, all of her nerves had dissipated.

Suddenly realizing that they were now walking back towards the portrait to the common room she hid her disappointment as they entered back into the now empty common room. She gave a shy smile as Fred kissed her on the cheek and bade her a goodnight before heading up the stairs to the boy’s dormitory.

She grinned to herself, amazed at her luck. She thought about everything that had happened in the last couple of hours. She couldn’t wait to tell Ginny in the morning, but a niggle in the back of her mind worried Ginny wouldn’t approve. 

Shoving that thought away she quietly climbed the stairs to the girl’s dormitory, deciding that Ginny would be ecstatic, if a little surprised. Slipping quietly into bed it took her a long time before she could quiet her pounding heart, finally managing to fall asleep in the early hours of the morning with a content smile on her face.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Hermione opened her eyes, squinting at the sunlight streaming through the open curtain. She noticed that Ginny had already left, and assumed that she had gone down to breakfast. Getting up she dressed in a comfortable pair of jeans and a light jacket to battle the fall breeze, and tried to tame her wild curls but quickly gave up, knowing it was futile.

Walking down to the common room she was surprised to see Ginny, Harry, and Ron there chatting in front of the fire. They stopped talking when she walked up and she gave them a confused look.

“So you and Fred huh?” Ron asked.

“Look Ron, I was going to tell you, but it only just happened and I wasn’t sure how you’d react.” Hermione confessed.

“Bloody hell Hermione, it’s about time! We all knew about it, took you guys long enough to make it official.”

“Really? You’re not upset?” She asked tentatively.

“We all knew it was coming, you guys are terrible at flirting!”

“Oh sod off Ron! You’re one to talk! Remember what happened when you asked Fleur to the Yule Ball?” Ginny retorted.

“Well, are you guys ready to head down to breakfast?” Harry asked before the discussion turned into an argument.

“Yeah, I’m starving!” Ron exclaimed.

“You’re always hungry, pig.” Ginny said, still annoyed at him.

Walking down to the Great Hall Hermione began to feel nervous. Telling herself she was being silly she smiled when she saw Fred, George, and a few of their friends already there eating breakfast.

Fred looked up as they walked in and beamed at her and all of her nervousness faded away when she sat down beside him.

“Hey,” he greeted casually.

“Hi, how are you?” Hermione asked, unsure what to say. She’d never really been in a relationship and she felt lost. It wasn’t like there was a book that she could read that could would tell her everything she needed to know about being in a relationship like her textbooks told her what she needed to know for classes.

_ This is going to be interesting _ , she mused to herself, _ I guess this means I have to spend less time in the library now…  _

A poke to her ribs brought her back to reality, looking over to see Fred grinning at her.

“Sorry, am I boring you?” He smirked.

“No, not at all, just lost in thought, sorry.” 

“Care to share with the class?” George teased. 

She blushed and ignored him, spooning food onto her plate. 

The rest of the day passed with lazy walks along the grounds, calmly laying in the grass and casually spending time with friends, watching as the guys goofed off. Hermione hardly noticed when Fred quietly slipped his hand into hers. It felt easy, it felt natural.

_ 3 months later… _

“Ok, I’ll see you later?” Fred asked as he and Hermione approached her class. 

“Yes, what time are we going to meet?” 

“Seven, in the common room.” Fred answered. 

“Ok, and you’re sure you can’t tell me what we’re doing?” She asked tentatively.

“Nope, it’s a surprise.” He winked, and turned to head to class. “See you later ‘Mione.”

Hermione glanced back in the mirror once more, checking her reflection before promptly heading down to the common room. It was almost 7, Fred would be there any minute.

_Is tonight the night?_ She thought to herself. _Will he finally kiss me? Or should I kiss him instead?_ _If it looks like he’s going to chicken out I’ll kiss him,_ she decided, and walked purposefully out of the room. 

As she got to the bottom of the stairs she glanced around the room and spotted him standing with his back to her, casually watching the fire flicker. 

“Hi,” she said nervously as she approached him.

Turning around he grinned at her, “Ready?”

“Yeah, let's go.” Grabbing his hand she walked out of the common room, then paused, unsure of where to go. 

Smirking at her, he gently lead her towards the stairs leading up to the astronomy tower. Winding up the stairs she pondered why they would be going here. It had gotten cold out, Christmas was just around the corner, but it hadn’t snowed yet. 

“Should I have brought a coat?” She asked as the continued up the stairs.

“No, you’ll be fine.” He replied.

Confused she shrugged and forced the nervous butterflies in her stomach down as they neared the top of the stairs.

“Ok, hang on,” he stopped her just before they reached the top so she couldn’t see around him to see what was waiting for them. 

“Close your eyes.” He ordered, she obliged. 

Feeling his hand pressing gently on the small of her back he guided her up the last couple of steps. He pushed into the room a little further and moved his hand up to her shoulder to stop her. 

“Ok, open them.”

Opening her eyes, she gasped softly at the sight before her. There were candles placed around the edge of the room, casting an ethereal glow, but it wasn’t bright enough to banish the moonlight streaming in through the balcony. 

Scanning the rest of the room she stopped when she saw a blanket resting on the floor near the rail of the balcony looking out over the grounds, illuminated by the moonlight, with various plates of food scattered over it. 

Turning to look at Fred she caught him watching her reaction anxiously. 

“This is lovely Fred!” She said awed. 

“Come over here, let’s eat.” Fred smiled, pleased with her reaction. He motioned for her to sit down on the blanket. “I cast a warming charm so we don’t get cold.”

She smiled appreciatively and sat down, looking at the delicious array of food spread before her. He had some of her favorite foods set on the blanket.

Grabbing a spoon and a bowl of chicken dumpling soup she started to eat, watching as Fred grabbed a plate of meat and potatoes and shoveled it into his mouth. 

“I thought you might enjoy some quiet time, and also to be pampered a bit. What with you studying hard like always, looking after Harry and Ron, and now me” Fred said with a wink. “Especially Harry though, he seems to be having a hard time this year, after what happened last year, and the rest of the students either ignoring him or refusing to believe him. Also with all the trouble Umbridge is causing. I swear by the end of this year I will sneak a puking pastel into her tea.”

Hermione chuckled lightly at his eagerness before responding. 

“Yes, I'm worried about him, he has been rather down lately. But I think he has realized that he does have friends who are supportive, which has helped a bit” she responded thoughtfully.

They continued to make small talk, but mostly just stared out at the grounds glowing in the moonlight and enjoyed the food and each other's company.

A little while later, a slight movement caught her attention and she watched as Fred flicked his wand and was surprised as the soft crooning of Frank Sinatra filled the room. 

“I asked some other muggle-borns about muggle music and they suggested this for our date.” Fred told her, looking sheepish.

“He’s one of my favorites, thank you.” Hermione answered, giving him a small smile.

“Would you like to dance?” He asked.

Surprised yet again she simply nodded and stood up. 

Fred had one hand wrapped around her lower back, holding her close, while he losely held her right hand out to the side, while she placed her other hand on his shoulder. They swayed slowly from side to side to side, turning around the room as the song changed to Moondance, sung by Van Morrison.

She looked up at him, but he blushed and tried to hide his face. 

_ He’s so nervous, he’ll never kiss me at this rate _ , she whined in her head.

Deciding to take matters into her own hands she snapped her head up quickly, tugging her hand out of his to cup around the back of his neck. But she miscalculated and while trying to turn his head tripped over his foot and fell backwards, pulling him with her. 

They landed awkwardly, legs sprawled, with him half on and half off her, and she winced as a slice of pain shot up her back. She looked away quickly to hide her blush, afraid of his reaction.

She slowly turned around when she heard a faint chuckle, and watched as Fred began to laugh uncontrollably. After gaping him for a few seconds his laughter became contagious and she chuckled lightly too. 

It felt like they laughed for forever, but it couldn’t have been longer than a minute. Their laughter stopped quickly when their eyes met, and all the air was sucked out of the room with one glance.

Before she could react she felt his hand slid through her hair to the back of her neck, pulling her face towards his. 

His soft lips tenderly pressed against her own, all the air rushed out of her lungs and her heart began to pound in her ears. The kiss only lasted for a few seconds before Fred pulled away and rested his forehead against hers, his breath tickling her face. 

“I guess you really did fall for me.” He said, and began to laugh at the irony.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right, I did.” She said, laughing with him.

When their laughter died down he pulled her back in, for a harder kiss, this one lasting longer than the last. She wrapped her arm around his waist while he kissed her, keeping herself propped up with her other arm.

After he stopped kissing her they went back over to the blanket, and she sat in front of him, gently resting her back against his chest as his legs sat to either side of her. They stayed like that for a long time, looking out at the grounds before Hermione closed her eyes and relaxed. 

She opened her eyes when she felt him shift behind her adjusting his position, and gave a small gasp when she realized it was snowing. She turned around excitedly to tell Fred.

“Fred, it’s snowing!” She said exclaimed, delighted, and watched as he opened his eyes, giving her a warm smile. “I love the snow, it’s so beautiful.”

They sat there a little while longer, watching the snow fall and begin to slowly pile up. The moon had disappeared behind the clouds, and the light from the candles flickered softly around the tower. The snow blew in towards the balcony, but melted along the rail when it hit the barrier created by the warming charm.

“Can you take down the warming charm?” She asked tentatively. “I want to feel the cold, and the snow.”

Giving her a questioning look he only nodded and flicked his wand. 

Immediately she felt a blast of cold wind and watched as the snow drifted into the room. Standing up, she walked over to the balcony rail and held her hand out, watching as the snowflakes drifted lazily into her palm, remaining there only a moment before they melted. 

Turning around to look at Fred she stopped when she caught him watching her with interest. Head tilted with a loving smile gracing his lips.

Standing up he strode towards her, slicing the distance between them quickly, and placed his hands around her waist in a soft embrace. 

“You have snow in your hair.” He stated simply, before leaning down to kiss her.

Kissing back harder she pulled his face down to hers, standing on her toes to reach his mouth. She opened her mouth to allow his tongue to slip in. Fred pushed her back until she hit the rail, with his front softly pressed against hers, and continued to kiss her. Moving one of his hands up to tangle it in her hair, feeling the droplets of water dispersed in her curls from where the snow had melted.

Their tongues twisted and intertwined, exploring each others mouths, slowly at first, but faster as the kiss deepened. Hermione pulled his face down harder, and wrapped her other arm tightly around his waist, pulling his body flush against hers with surprising confidence. They kept kissing while the snow floated gracefully around them. After a while, Hermione pulled away and rested her forehead against Fred’s chest, while he rested his chin on the top of her head.

Shivering, Hermione suddenly realized how cold she had gotten since she asked him to take down the warming charm. Instinctively Fred put his arms around her, holding her close in an attempt to warm her up. 

“Let’s go back downstairs, you’re shaking.” Fred said, and pulled Hermione after him as he started to head back downstairs.

“You told me I wouldn’t need a coat” she teased.

“Yeah, well you told me to take down the warming charm, so this one’s on you,” he shot back, smirking at her. 

Making their way slowly back towards Gryffindor's common room, Hermione wished the night didn’t have to end. She still felt a buzz running through her body from where he had touched her, and she could still taste him on her lips. 

Stopping at the bottom of the stairs leading to their separate dormitories Fred pulled her close and kissed her passionately. Pulling away he planted a final kiss at the corner of her mouth.

“Goodnight Hermione,” he whispered, with his face just inches from hers. Then he turned around and walked up the stairs to his room. 

Watching his retreating back she smiled, then turned and walked up to her room, and saw Ginny was already asleep. Glancing at the clock she realized it was almost one in the morning. She changed into her pyjamas, and took one last look out the window, watching the snow fall. The castle was peaceful, the snow pure and untouched. Lying down she fell asleep quickly, with a faint smile, and wonderful thoughts from that night spinning in her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! I've been working a few chapters ahead in this story, but so far this is my favorite. Everything is going well for the two love-birds so far, but in a few more chapters (not sure how soon yet) I'll begin to introduce the angst, so be prepared! I'm going to be going on vacation soon, not for long, but I don't think I'll be able to write much while I'm gone so I'll try to have a chapter prepared in advance to be uploaded. Leave a comment, let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

_ Flashback… from the future...  _

Hermione was drifting, lost in her own head, as she wandered around the destroyed library. It was the morning after the Battle, and she had escaped from the Great Hall, needing to seek whatever solace she might find.

She knew she was in shock after the events of the past twenty-four hours. Especially after the most recent of those twenty-four. Even though she knew this, she could not bring herself out of this state. She lacked the willpower and emotional energy to handle her current reality.

Instead, she had wandered aimlessly around Hogwarts, unable to take in the level of destruction that these walls had experienced, a level which was now reflected in her own life. 

Somehow her feet brought her to the library, where she began to pick up random books scattered around the floor, placing them back on their proper shelves. 

The work was tedious, and brainless. Just what she needed.

She paused, after she walked around a corner, recalling a curious memory, one she had long forgotten about, one from just before the beginning of her relationship with Fred…

_ Hermione walked around the corner of yet another row of books, she was simply browsing, looking for something interesting that she hadn’t yet read. As she turned the corner of the middle row she spotted Fred and George tucked into the corner, whispering furiously to each other, leaning over a book and pointing to various parts of the page.  _

_ Curiosity peaked, Hermione decided to observe for a few moments. They were obviously scheming, but about what, she wanted to know.  _

_ Stepping forward cautiously, trying not to draw attention to herself, she was almost within earshot when she stepped on a creaky board. Surprised by the sudden noise, both twins looked up quickly, eyebrows quirked in surprise and skepticism.  _

_ Stammering, she tried to play off her obvious eavesdropping with a joke, “ _ I-I never thought I would see you two in the library, much less reading a book.”

“Oh, there are many things about us that might surprise you Hermione,” _ Fred purred teasingly, causing her to blush.  _

_ Trying to ignore Fred’s brash comment, Hermione attempted to lean over and peek at what they were reading, but George quickly slammed the book closed and smirked at her.  _

“No peeking, it’ll ruin the surprise,”  _ George commented slyly. Then simultaneously both him and Fred formed the same mischievous grin. To Hermione they looked like twin cheshire cats. _

Suddenly Hermione was jerked from her memory, which disappeared like smoke, by a bird chirping from a nearby window ledge where the window had been shattered. 

She then continued to clean, slowly, unaware of the tears that fell from her eyes, and unable to find a place among her shattered heart to place the pain from the nostalgia of this memory, one she unknowingly feared would be lost among all the others. Unaware, at this time, of how the fear of losing all of her fond memories of Fred would haunt her in the months to come. 

* * *

_ Later… _

As Hermione walked from the library, cleaning what she could before she was sent out of the room by Filch and his broom, she continued to wander the castle. Cutting down random corridors, looking at the destruction, trying to avoid tripping over all the rubble. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs to the astronomy tower, and thought of all the wonderful memories the tower held for her. All of the times her and Fred had snuck up there to snog, or just enjoy each others company. Fred was surprisingly good at enjoying silences, ones that were never awkward. But now she stood, in the almost choking silence, just thinking about him.

She was surprised when a figure slowly drifted around the corner, only to find that it was the ghost Peeves, known for his practical jokes on students and professors alike. What surprised her most though, was his obviously grim mood, because she had never seen him with anything less than a mischievous grin, much like Fred and George. 

He stopped once he noticed her, and gave her a small, sad smile that looked almost painful. 

“Hello Hermione,” he greeted her.

“Peeves,” she responded, shortly, lacking the energy for any social interactions.

“I heard about Fred, it’s terrible. He was a bright kid. I really liked him.” Peeves said, without inclination, he seemed just as lost as her. “I’m sorry, I’m gonna miss him.”

The unusual sincerity from the ghost is what finally pushed her over the edge, as she realized that Fred was really gone. 

Sobbing, Hermione fell to the floor, with her face in her hands, letting out all her pent up emotions from the last 24 hours. 

After a few minutes of gut wrenching sobs, accompanied by agonizing screams of abandonment, she began to choke from the inability to breathe through the pain in her chest. Peeves drifted closer to her and tried to comfort her the best he could, but as a ghost there's only so much he could do. 

She stayed there on the floor for a long time, and by the time she finally wore herself out from crying the sun had moved a considerable amount across the sky, and the light was soft with the golden glow of early evening. 

"I'm going to miss him too Peeves." Hermione responded solemnly. She gave him a slight nod, one of thanks and maybe admiration for his friendship with Fred, and then she got up and began to make her way back towards the Great Hall. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been a while, I got super caught up with school work and everything so I haven't really had the time or energy to update, but here is Chapter 3! I debated whether or not to make this chapter 4, but I like how it is this way, it is rather short though.


End file.
